Understanding
Signals What does it mean when I get error code 'openErr = -23, /*I/O System Errors*/' on my computer? What does my interviewer mean when she tells me I'll 'hear back soon'? What is the meaning of life? Humans strive to find meaning. Daily, we are surrounded by signals that carry some kind of meaning. I approach a pelican crossing and press the button. Usually, it would light up to signal to me that my 'message' has been received and that I will soon be presented with a green man. But today it doesn't light up. When I press it, the bulb remains dimmed, and I ask myself "well then, what does this mean?" Whilst searching for meaning, I evaluate potential interpretations, and the interpretation I accept shapes what I do next: i''1: Is it only the light which is faulty, and my message has still been received? If this is my interpretation, I may simply wait as I would, and hope that my wait is not in vain. However, if the green man never takes over from his red colleague, then I may take that as either a signal that I did not press the button properly, or that the entire crossing is faulty. ''i''2: Did I not press the button firmly enough? If this is my interpretation, I may attempt it again a little more forcefully this time. If the light appears on my second try, I may take that as a signal that the light ''and crossing are all in working order, and I was simply being feeble the first time. If, however, on my second try, the light still doesn't appear, then I may take the lack of signal as a signal itself that there is a fault somewhere –'' I just don't know whether it's with the light or the crossing yet. ''i''3: Has the whole crossing broken? If this is my interpretation, I may abandon it and search for another place to cross safely. For each potential interpretation (and thus, potential consequent courses of action), there are certain evaluations I may make which also shape my final course of action. For example, if ''i''1 is correct, then this is the least effortful and least time consuming course of action. But if ''i''1 is incorrect – if the entire crossing is faulty – then by committing to ''i''1, I risk waiting for a green man who, unbeknownst to me, is never to appear. Alternatively, perhaps I did not press the button correctly, ''or the entire crossing is faulty, but the lights are on a timer, which just so happens to correspond with my pressing the button and waiting a few moments. The 'problem' is that I can never know with 100% certainty what the correct interpretation is. But it's not a problem at all most of the time – if it were, mundane social interaction could no longer exist, as the simplest of utterances would have to be clarified infinitely to ensure your interpretation of my interpretation of your interpretation of my interpretation, etc. is correct. So, how do we ever make sense of each other? How can we be sure that the courses of action we take are the appropriate responses to the signals we receive and interpret? Somewhat frustratingly, the answer is that we can't ever be completely satisfied that we have done soTurner, G. H. & Merrison, A. J. (2016). Doing ‘Understanding’ in Dialogue Interpreting: Advancing Theory and Method. Interpreting: International Journal of Research and Practice in Interpreting. Vol. 18(2), pp. 137-171.. We can only ever be ''sufficiently ''satisfied that we have both understood and been understood, and we reach this satisfaction by evaluating the evidence that follows. Depending on the context, different factors will be evaluated differently. When I arrive home and ask whether my housemate is home, a simple "yes" is evidence enough that she has understood my request for information, and that she believes she has given me the information I requested. However, when I ask her "will you make me a cup of tea?" and she responds "yes" whilst immersed in a book, her "yes" may not be sufficient enough for me to believe she has understood my request for action. It is, perhaps, not until I hear the filling of the kettle in the kitchen that I am sufficiently satisfied that I have been understood. It is this notion of construals – of what speakers are taken to meanClark, H. H. (1996) Using language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. – that has shaped the final chapter of my time as an undergraduate.